The use of systemic chemotherapy after the surgical therapy for patients with operable disease has been associated with a 25%-35% reduction in the risk of systemic relapse (Early Breast Cancer Trialists' Collaborative Group, 1998) Administration of chemotherapy prior to surgery, also referred to as neoadjuvant chemotherapy is often used in patients with inoperable, non-metastatic breast cancer. However more recently, neoadjuvant therapy has become more commonly used as it allows the direct assessment of response to systemic therapy and the collection of biological markers of therapy that are otherwise difficult to obtain. Furthermore, the relative high response rate allows the ability to surgically remove the tumor and achieve adequate tumor-free margins.